Native Mountain Pepper

This is a native shrub that bears hot and spicy flavoured leaves, and berries on the female plants.

When to sow: Spring or autumn. Sow in pots and keep watered. It can take up to six months for germination. They are very slow to grow at first and may take a year before they can be separated and planted into bigger pots.

Plant Type: Large bush but in my area they only grow to a bit over a metre.

Uses: The dried and powdered leaves are used as a spice. The dried and powdered berries off the female plants are also used as a spice and have a slightly different flavour than the leaves.

Growing Conditions: They grow naturally in shaded, damp gullies. Mine are planted under shadecloth and watered regularly in summer.

Pests and Diseases:

Special Qualities: Hot and spicy flavour

Seeds: Minimum 25 dried berries in a packet. Each berry contains a number of seeds.